[8.0/10] I really enjoyed this one. I wasn’t really asking for a Teen Titans prequel/origin story, but with the show closing out its run, it’s a nice thing to have. Before they met, the crew was different. Starfire was an angry escaped prisoner. Robin was a loner still standing in the shadow of The Bat. Beast Boy was nervous and still used to Doom Patrol discipline. Cyborg was angsty and self-conscious about his mechanical self. And Raven was a hesitant misfit.
Those differences are a clever way to show how much this team has meant to all the Titans and changed them. The show understandably has to take some shortcuts to bring them all together and establish their old personalities in the span of twenty-two minutes. Despite that handicap, though, it does a nice job of giving us thumbnail sketches of who the Titans used to be, and hints of what allowed them to feel comfortable and join together.
In practical terms, that means uniting to fight the lizard-like aliens who are hunting Starfire and threatening the city. In truth, this is the standard Teen Titans block and tackle. Smash bad guys. Throw beam and energy bursts at them. It’s nothing special.
But what is special is how the heroes set aside their differences and find strength in one another. Sometimes, the show gets a little too cute with that. (I don’t know that we needed Starfire kissing Robin to learn English, thereby kickstarting their chaste flirtation.) For the most part, though, the moments of camaraderie are simple but sweet.
Beast Boy tells Cyborg he thinks his armor’s cool, not something to be ashamed of. Robin helps Starfire just to be nice. Cyborg welcomes Raven as a friend, not a misfit. These are all broad strokes, but they work nicely to stand in for the seeds of a larger bond.
Overall, Teen Titans is smart to deliver an origin now rather than at the beginning of the show. This episode wasn’t designed to introduce the Titans, but rather to show where they started, making where they are now as they prepare to face the Brotherhood of Evil all the more impressive. Seeing the roots of their friendship and mutual support form is a welcome treat before the series-ending fireworks start.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-08-31T22:28:10Z
[8.0/10] I really enjoyed this one. I wasn’t really asking for a Teen Titans prequel/origin story, but with the show closing out its run, it’s a nice thing to have. Before they met, the crew was different. Starfire was an angry escaped prisoner. Robin was a loner still standing in the shadow of The Bat. Beast Boy was nervous and still used to Doom Patrol discipline. Cyborg was angsty and self-conscious about his mechanical self. And Raven was a hesitant misfit.
Those differences are a clever way to show how much this team has meant to all the Titans and changed them. The show understandably has to take some shortcuts to bring them all together and establish their old personalities in the span of twenty-two minutes. Despite that handicap, though, it does a nice job of giving us thumbnail sketches of who the Titans used to be, and hints of what allowed them to feel comfortable and join together.
In practical terms, that means uniting to fight the lizard-like aliens who are hunting Starfire and threatening the city. In truth, this is the standard Teen Titans block and tackle. Smash bad guys. Throw beam and energy bursts at them. It’s nothing special.
But what is special is how the heroes set aside their differences and find strength in one another. Sometimes, the show gets a little too cute with that. (I don’t know that we needed Starfire kissing Robin to learn English, thereby kickstarting their chaste flirtation.) For the most part, though, the moments of camaraderie are simple but sweet.
Beast Boy tells Cyborg he thinks his armor’s cool, not something to be ashamed of. Robin helps Starfire just to be nice. Cyborg welcomes Raven as a friend, not a misfit. These are all broad strokes, but they work nicely to stand in for the seeds of a larger bond.
Overall, Teen Titans is smart to deliver an origin now rather than at the beginning of the show. This episode wasn’t designed to introduce the Titans, but rather to show where they started, making where they are now as they prepare to face the Brotherhood of Evil all the more impressive. Seeing the roots of their friendship and mutual support form is a welcome treat before the series-ending fireworks start.